My girlfriend wishes to go to college

High speed, dependable internet access will be your biggest challenge. If one has that, the rest is easy.

Stay away from the most heavily advertised online college. I have several acquaintances who have degrees from Columbia College in Columbia, MO. This is a reputable school.

Many state universities and some top-notch private schools now have online programs. For two-year programs, some community colleges now have online programs. My oldest daughter and her husband have completed degrees through online programs at state universities, a local university in her case, a university half-way around the world in his case, through a military education program.

A student first needs to figure out what he/she wants to study, then look into schools that have that program, and make applications for admission.

Tax supported schools are often less expensive than private schools, if you qualify for in-state tuition. That's not always easy if you are moving around or have recently moved into a state. My daughter had to move from Tennessee to Michigan and work there for more than a year before University of Michigan would consider enrolling her as in-state. It is often impossible to change this status, for tuition purpose, if you are already a student or moving around.

Beware of on-line programs at commercial "trade" schools. Some of these look good because they advertise nationally and have small local campuses in many cities, but some also have very low completion rates, exist mostly to collect money from college loan programs.

Both of the lists you've been linked to are good.

groundhogy wrote:
We are full time live aboards.
I am looking for a solution for her to get a 2 or 4 year degree and still continue to live aboard and move around as well.
I have searched the forum and can not find any information on this topic.
thanks,
groundhog

ps. yesterday we drove through kitty hawk, nc.
Thought i saw a dead groundhog. If that is an island, how did the first groundhog arrive?

is an on-line degree program an option? as for the groundhog...the first one likely arrived 2-minutes after the first land bridge was built. either that or it swam. :)

You show PA as your location; so may want to check with PA public colleges. My SIL is enrolled in an on-line degree program with community college in my town. He has never lived in this town, but does live in-state. InState tuition at public colleges/universities is generally less expensive than Out of State rates. Also tuition varies from school to school within state.

As long as the school and program is accredited, the prestige of the school doesn't matter, with a very few exceptions. Real world example, my MBA from local university is just as valuable as one from major universities (with maybe the exception of Harvard).

Check the listings at the site linked below. They all offer online degree programs and are top rated colleges and universities such as Penn State, Boston University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and many others of similar caliber.

The 50 Best Online Colleges for 2016

I am retired college professor who has done some teaching online.

Definitely she should choose an accredited institution. A regional accreditation agency is best. I served on several accreditation teams for The American Association of Schools and Colleges and am quite certain that any institution accredited by them has undergone rigorous examination by experts in their fields.

She should expect online courses to be as rigorous as face-to-face courses. She should expect interaction with the instructor and with fellow students. There will be assignments and exams. There may be videos or audio files for her to stream or download. My colleagues and I even held live online office hours at scheduled times.

She should have a good computer and good skills with it. She needs to be familiar with various file formats. She should not expect anyone to buy "the dog ate my internet" excuses.

One list of online universities is here: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-schools I don't know anything about this list, but it is searchable by field of study and it shows accrediting agencies with links to them.

Hitchiked on Wilbur's wingtip as ballast.

Colo Native wrote:
My son in law graduated from Western Governors University with a BA this last summer it's all web based did it in 3 years. I know that is legit.

Western Governor's University is GREAT.

First thing she needs to do is decide WHAT she wants to do. Then look for an online program. Many traditional universities have degree programs that are totally or mostly online.

Even if her program requires some on-campus time, there's no reason you can't go somewhere and stay there for a year or so. Just make sure there is a reasonable climate.

The main thing to look for is a program or university that is fully accredited by the regional accrediting agency. THIS MAP tells you which ones to look for. Do not give any money or take any loans for any school that is not accredited. Then the program should have some credentials as well. You can usually find this info up front on the school's website.

As others said, she will need reliable internet service, self-discipline, moral support from you, and a place to study/work.

When I was a student at Purdue University back in the 1970's, I worked as a custodian for a church and got a free room to live in, along with kitchen privileges at the rectory. There was a guy who was going to school that was essentially living out of his old pickup truck with a capper on the truck bed. But when it got colder, he would sneak into the downstairs lounge area of the church and pretend to be studying, but would sack out on the couches as the evening got late.

We didn't mind that for a rare occurrence, but when he started making it a habit, we told him he couldn't do it anymore. I'm not sure where he went from there.

So yes, you can full time and go to college and be in your rig. But it isn't an easy life! :)